Peace on Earth, Good-will to Dogs

In Short

Written with playful charm, Peace on Earth, Good-will to Dogs is a cozy holiday novella about Flame Nourice, a vicar's spirited daughter determined to spend Christmas Day on her own joyful terms. When her parents leave town and attempt to send her off to a dreary aunt, Flame instead throws a secret feast for a pack of rowdy dogs in a mysterious rented house. The evening quickly spirals into chaos involving masks, an unexpected host, and a frantic curate, creating a buoyant tale that endures for its whimsical humor, canine affection, and warm holiday spirit.

The Story

The story opens on Christmas Eve in a shivering winter village where Flame Nourice, the irrepressible daughter of the local clergyman, learns that the long-abandoned Rattle-Pane House has been mysteriously rented. Investigating through the fence, she discovers a charmingly chaotic household occupied by three large dogs—a wolfhound, a setter, and a Dalmatian—along with a wizened bulldog named Miss Flora and a elderly butler.

Flame’s parents are called away abruptly to attend to a sick relative who is revising his will. Planning to spare Flame from the attention of her father’s curate, Bertrand—whom her mother suspects has an "amorous eye"—her mother orders Flame to spend the holiday with her strict, austere Aunt Minna. Flame longs instead for a bright, festive "holly day" filled with color and fun. Misunderstanding her cryptic explanations about wanting to make a holiday surprise for "Miss Flora" (whom her parents assume is an elderly, respectable lady rather than a bulldog), her parents reluctantly allow her to stay behind.

Left to her own devices on Christmas Day, Flame prepares a grand holiday feast at the Rattle-Pane House. She cooks a turkey, mixes big bowls of mush for the dogs, and decorates the place. Expecting Bertrand the curate to interrupt, she decides to play a game: when he arrives, she blindfolds herself and convinces him to help her setup the room. To make the gathering a true party, Flame crafts paper masks for the animals and even dresses her gray cat in a plush work-bag topped with a Bengal Tiger mask.

Complications peak when the curate is sent away on a errand to retrieve a carving knife from the vicarage pantry. While he is gone, the true tenant of the house—a wealthy, recovering invalid named Delcote—returns unexpectedly. Taking the empty seat at the table, Delcote plays along until Flame removes her blindfold and screams, sparking an absolute riot among the masked animals. Tangles of paws, flying tinsel, and crashing furniture ensue before Delcote restores order with good-natured laughter.

Just as Delcote and Flame begin to enjoy the chilled turkey together, her parents return unexpectedly alongside a thoroughly bewildered Bertrand, who has been caught sneaking into the vicarage pantry. Delcote smoothly steps in as host, smoothing over the misunderstandings, praising the eccentric gathering, and inviting everyone to sit down together. As the night ends with reconciliation and new friendships, the long-awaited Christmas snow finally begins to fall.

How It Unfolds

The village mystery solved Flame Nourice excitedly phones her mother from the local post office to announce that the abandoned Rattle-Pane House has been rented by three lively dogs and an old butler. Her mother dismisses the news, but Flame remains fascinated by the newly arrived household.

An unexpected departure Flame's parents receive urgent news calling them away on Christmas Day to visit a sick, wealthy relative. To keep Flame away from the local curate, her mother insists she visit her strict Aunt Minna, but Flame pleads for a chance to have a joyful holiday of her own making.

Preparations for a secret party Granted a brief reprieve through a misunderstanding about the identity of "Miss Flora," Flame spends Christmas morning preparing a grand feast. She hauls supplies, cooks a turkey, and sneaks into the Rattle-Pane House to set up a party for the resident dogs.

The blindfold and the curate When Bertrand the curate arrives to investigate the noise, Flame blindfolds herself to play a game and enlists his help setting up furniture. She then sends him on an errand to her home pantry to fetch a missing carving knife.

Chaos in the dining room The home's actual tenant, Mr. Delcote, walks in unnoticed and sits at the table, leading to a hilarious uproar when Flame removes her blindfold. The masked dogs and a disguised cat erupt into a wild brawl over the food before order is restored.

A warm reconciliation Flame's parents and the curate return to catch her in the act, but Mr. Delcote charmingly welcomes everyone as honored holiday guests. As the family sits down to share the meal, a gentle snow begins to fall over the countryside.

The People

• Flame Nourice: A vibrant, imaginative young woman full of innocent mischief and enthusiasm. She wants a Christmas filled with bright colors and joyful freedom, stepping outside traditional expectations to throw a party for a pack of dogs. She ends up gaining both a memorable holiday and a new friendship.
• Mr. Delcote: The rich, weary master of Rattle-Pane House who has been sent to the country to recover his health and peace after losing his fortune and strength. He wants solitude and rest, but his gentle sense of humor allows him to embrace the chaotic surprise party in his kitchen.
• Flame's Mother: A practical, hyper-organized vicar's wife who constantly plans every detail for her family. She wants propriety, order, and a suitable match for Flame, but her rigid plans are repeatedly derailed by Flame's spontaneous logic.
• Flame's Father: An easygoing clergyman who sympathizes with his daughter's desire for a fun holiday. He wants peace and quiet to read his books, often offering gentle humor to soften his wife's strict directives.
• Bertrand (The Lay Reader): The earnest local curate who holds a quiet affection for Flame. He wants to prove himself helpful and heroic, though he finds himself bewildered by dog-parties, blindfolds, and climbing through pantry windows.

In Its Own Voice

"For I warn you perfectly frankly that I am distinctly pro-dog and distinctly pro-Christmas, and would like to bring to this little story whatever whiff of fir-balsam I can cajole from the make-believe forest in my typewriter..." The author sets an inviting, lighthearted tone right at the start of the story.

"Where the hobbly lane curved darkly into a meadow through a snarl of winter-stricken willows the rattle of a loose window-pane smote quite distinctly on the ear." Flame walks toward the gloomy, deserted country house on Christmas Eve.

"Round and round the room spun the Yellow Canary and the Black Plush Bag!" Pandemonium breaks loose when the animals react to the costumed cat during the party.

What It's Really About

At its core, the novella explores the tension between rigid social expectations and the pure, unstructured joy of childhood enthusiasm. Abbott contrasts the dull, dutiful obligations of adult holiday traditions—represented by Aunt Minna's strict house and formal parish duties—with the simple, unconditional warmth found in animal companionship and spontaneous hospitality.

The narrative argues that true holiday spirit isn't found in carefully managed schedules or forced decorum, but in kindness, laughter, and welcoming the unexpected. Through Flame’s playful stubbornness and Delcote's willingness to embrace the absurdity of the situation, the story suggests that opening one's heart to harmless joy is the best antidote to loneliness and sorrow.

Why Read It Today

Peace on Earth, Good-will to Dogs is a delightful, fast-paced vintage gem for readers who appreciate classic holiday humor, cozy winter atmospheres, and animal stories. Written in 1920, Eleanor Hallowell Abbott’s narrative sparkles with rapid-fire dialogue, youthful exuberance, and a distinctive prose style that feels intimate and conversational.

Modern readers should be prepared for early 20th-century sensibilities, theatrical farce, and a brisk, breezy narrative pace that favors theatrical charm over deep, complex drama. The romance develops quickly, and the plot relies on lighthearted misunderstandings that require a willing suspension of disbelief.

What remains so appealing is its genuine warmth and boundless affection for dogs. The vivid descriptions of bounding wolfhounds, stubborn bulldogs, and frantic holiday preparations make it a heartwarming seasonal read. It leaves the reader with a comforting sense of cheer, making it a perfect quick story to enjoy by the fire on a cold winter evening.